Dhananjaya, Jayasuriya lead Sri Lankan resurgence against Pakistan – by Trevine Rodrigo (Melbourne – eLanka Sports editor)
Image Source : timesofsports
Dhananjaya De Silva played a long overdue starring role and Sri Lanka’s batting found harmony to destroy Pakistan’s hope of a series win as an all-round effort saw the home team square the two match series in Galle.
Sri Lanka’s batters put the Pakistanis out of reach with a memorable performance that made a 507 target way beyond a realistic chase able target.
Jack -in -the- box I called them. So it was, as a history focused home team rammed home a milestone Matthews 100th Test to pull off a fantastic series levelling Test victory.
If there was a spur needed to produce the unexpected, Matthews, the Sri Lanka former skipper, and loyal soldier in a team in transition, gave them the impetus to acknowledge and honor a man that has given the country many memorable moments in triumph over his long and memorable career so far.
Barriers were lowered and unsung heroes emerged as the team pushed themselves beyond the expected, proving that the country has turned the corner and are on their way to gaining worldwide acknowledgement as a serious contender to the best once more.
Batting and bowling found harmony much like a well rehearsed orchestra, and while the likes of Dhananjaya, Dinesh Chandimal skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and the rest of Sri Lanka’s batting hit top gear, it has a standout in Prabath Jayasuriya who was an unexpected discovery through pandemic protocols who continues to etch his name in history as an exceptional find that right now looks as potent as a Murali like phenomenon.
Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis have relegated former top ranked spinners Embuldeniya , Vandersay and some others to second class with impressive performances that will be challenged outside Galle.
Does the master-stroke of employing Chris Silverwood as coach made a difference? Time will tell. But early indications appear at this stage seem to indicate so . But it must be remembered that former South African coach Mickey Arthur had the wheels in motion before his departure which will always remain a mystery.
Silverwood harbours stinging memories of a demoralising Ashes campaign at the helm of England against Australia. But gained some solace and revenge as the spearhead of Sri Lanka not long after. Being at the controls of Sri Lanka’s even series against his former tormentors in the three formats must have given him immense satisfaction.
Image source : sktodaysnews.
Pakistan went into this game cock-a-hoop after winning what seemed like an unlikely record run chase in the first Test at the same venue. So unless the Sri Lanka batters found consistency, it was foregone that they were heading for similar embarrassment. But milestones have proved to be a motivator to Sri Lanka’s cricketer’s as they rallied to give Angelo Matthews a rousing and memorable win. There’s a rich history behind this.
The win not just levelled the series but also elevated the Island nation to third in the Test Championship.
Right now the Sri Lankans can bask in the glory of a reversal of fortunes on the field, although the country is batting bigger economic issues off it.
